UConn football changes likely coming

Chris Elsberry

Published 5:33 pm, Sunday, September 29, 2013

UConn football coach Paul Pasqualoni still has his job -- for now -- but over the next two weeks as the team prepares to play South Florida, changes are definitely coming.

The changes may be on the two-deep roster, they may even be on the coaching staff, but they are coming.

"We're evaluating," Pasqualoni said Sunday in his post-game conference call with the media. "We haven't had that discussion (about changes) ¦ I want to get through every piece of that (Buffalo) game. We, as a staff, are in the evaluation process."

When asked if Pasqualoni was considering staff changes, his response was a quick "no." But that doesn't mean they aren't coming.

With USC (3-2) firing Lane Kiffin just hours after the Trojans' 62-41 loss to Arizona State Saturday night, there were thoughts that Huskies athletic director Warde Manuel might pull the trigger on Pasqualoni, especially when UConn fell to 0-4 after a 41-12 loss at the hands of Buffalo -- a team the Huskies had beaten eight straight times dating back to 2001.

But Pasqualoni continues to be the head coach. He also knows that his job could be hanging by the thinnest of threads.

"I understand the nature of this game," he said Sunday. "I understand the nature of fans, people ¦ everyone has their opinion and they're free to express their opinion, but that doesn't discourage me. I understand it's part of it. I've been in this (game) for a long time, so it all goes with the territory. It's my job to do the best I can here with the personnel we have and try to move the program forward. That's my job and that's what I'm going to do. It doesn't really discourage me."

But at 64 and after solid careers at Syracuse and in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, he could walk away from all the stress. Yet he chooses to stay and fight.

"I do this because I love it," he said. "I do this because I have passion for the game and the people you're associated with and everything that goes along with it. It hasn't changed for me ever.

"I'm a very optimistic person. A week ago we were just a couple plays away from beating one of the top teams in the country (Michigan), so my attitude and my feelings are the same. It's no different this Sunday as it was last Sunday. I'm determined to improve and to get the things straightened out and get the guys going and get into winning some games."

Pasqualoni said he has not sat down with Manuel to discuss the current state of affairs within the football program. If or when he does, making some changes to his staff might be one the factors involved in whether he finishes out the season.

"I think Warde, like everybody, would like to see things improve, that's for sure," Pasqualoni said. "But Warde and I have not had that conversation, no."

Over these next two weeks, Pasqualoni plans to review every inch of his program and see if there's anywhere that can be improved.

"Because we have the off-week, we're spending a little more time on our own team," Pasqualoni said. "We're in that discussion process, going over the film and everything that's gone on. As we move forward this week, we're going to work on our team this week. We'll work on South Florida, but we'll work more on our team, personnel and what we're doing and things that we need to get better at on offense, defense and special teams."

Even at quarterback, where the most dramatic change could take place if Pasqualoni decides to bit the bullet and go with freshman Tim Boyle for the rest of the season, replacing junior starter Chandler Whitmer.

"If you make the decision to go with a young freshman player," the coach said. "You really have to have a plan for using the guy and getting the guy into the game and getting him as ready as he can be so he can play and have success and not just waste the redshirt year. There's a lot to consider, a lot of discussion before you put any freshman in the games, especially at the quarterback position. These are discussions that are on-going."